WHY STUDY IN GERMANY ? | 18 Things You Didn't Know About
Yana Immis
69,2% OF FOREIGNERS WANT TO STAY! Countless job opportunities after graduation including an 18-month Job-Seeking visa with a 3.1% unemployment rate in one of the safest countries in the world. Study in Germany! Here is why!
Why Study In Germany?
Germany Free education (or affordable) with plenty of scholarships
Public universities in Germany
You can study in Germany for free in public universities. You can also study in Public universities in the English language. Germany offers affordable education with free or low tuition fees in state universities as well as competitive tuition fees in private universities.
Private universities in Germany
If you choose private schools, as everything is relative in life, they are cheaper than UK, USA, NZ, Australia, and Canada at least 2 times but offering the same value/level of education or even higher.
Scholarships & Discounts in Germany
A student ID may qualify students for special discounts on public transport, museums, libraries, cinemas, and even shopping, including the Apple store, as an example. Moreover, having matriculation from German university grants you access to public dormitories with low rental fees.
Don’t forget to check DAAD Scholarships Data Base to find the scholarship matching your profile. All my students were able to secure a 10-20% scholarship minimum!
Lower cost of living in Germany in comparison to the UK, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia
Germany cost of living
The cost of living in Germany is on the European average. Rent costs, clothing, food, and activities are relatively low.
Accommodation in Germany
Rents in Hamburg, Munich, and other metropolitan cities are higher than average. However, relative to other European cities, i.e. London or Paris or rents in the USA, the accommodation expenses in Germany are rather low.
Monthly Cost for a Room In Germany (in €)
No need to learn German. Study in English in Germany!
German is a national language, however, English is widely spoken. In big cities, locals are often brought up bilingual, communicating freely in the English language. Here is how you can score well on IELTS and study in Germany in English. There are plenty of opportunities to study in English or German or English/German tracks
Bachelor Programs in English in Germany
3 or 4 years long (180 - 210 ECTS points).
Mainly 6-8 Semesters
Mostly require Studienkolleg and Feststellungsprüfung
Master Programs in English in Germany
1 or 2 years long (60 ECTS / 120 ECTS).
Mainly 2-4 semesters (exceptions apply: 5-semester programs with Non-Business Bridge Semester)
Master programs in Germany are consecutive: if you have a Bachelor in Physics, you need to apply to a Master in Physics degree (or alternative similar field of study)
Ph.D. Programs in Germany
Mainly 4-6 semesters
MBA Programs in English in Germany
1 or 1.5 years duration (60-90 ECTS)
The MBA programs are designed for working professionals with extensive work experience.
MBA programs in Germany are non-consecutive: a Bachelor's degree can come from a non-related field.
Easy German Student Visa with low denial rates
German Student Visa Benefits
1-3 months waiting time. Average of 19 working days
One mandatory requirement: Blocked Account with 10236 Euro (Still unsure which blocked account option to choose? Choose Coracle! (The best option for international students in 2020-2024))
Gaps for the German embassy are irrelevant
Possibility to bring spouse and children on a study visa
Very low-risk visa – secure future
'Made In Germany' seal of quality - the best country for international students in terms of ranking & image
While many prospective students tend to think of the United Kingdom and the United States first when considering where in the world they want to study, Germany remains the ‘best country for educational tourism’ for 2 consecutive years according to Study.EU.
Well-known companies & brands including BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Bayer, Munich RE & Football Clubs FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund call Germany home.
According to the statistics, the largest German employers are Volkswagen (642,000 employees worldwide), Deutsche Post (519,000), Robert Bosch (402,000), Schwarz-Gruppe (retail, 400,000) and Siemens (372,000).
Germany Study Visa Permission to work during studies, right after studies and 1.5 years to search for a job after graduation (job-seeking visa)
International Students in Germany
Foreign students have permission to work while studying and to extend their visas accordingly.
During studies
120 full-time days a year
(40 hours a week)
240 part-time days a year
(20 hours a week)
After studies
18 Months “Job-Seeking Visa”
Work Visa
Permanent Residence (after 5 years)
German Passport (after 7 years)
One of the world’s most powerful passports (German Passport #1-3 in the world)
Germans hold one of the world’s most powerful passports (in 2018 citizens can visit up to 188 countries visa-free). Having achieved a very high score in three main categories (education, costs, life & career), Germany is an ideal choice for international students on many occasions.
Foreigner-friendly universities in Germany
Students in Germany
In the 2016/17 winter semester, 2.8 million students were enrolled at 426 officially recognized universities in Germany. Overall, there were 357,835 international students.
Germany is the most populous country in the European Union with more than 83 million people. The biggest hubs are Berlin (3,6 million), Hamburg (1,8 million), and Munich (1,5 million).
Foreign Students in Germany
Foreigners make up 13% of the total population. 10,6 million foreigners from all over the world are living in Germany. Most of them come from Turkey, Poland, and Syria. There are plenty of Indian, Chinese, and Russian students across the universities.
Availability of courses with 2 starting dates per year: September and March! No time waste. Start studies in Germany now!
Study in Germany
More than 400 state-accredited universities provide almost 20,000-degree courses. German universities offer high-quality affordable education in a variety of subjects ranging from Hospitality, Management & Business, STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) to Humanities, Biotechnology, and Pharmacology.
Top Quality of Teaching. The quality of all higher education institutions in Germany is equally good
It mainly depends on what you want to study. Germany is one of the leading countries with the best education levels. Highly qualified staff provide excellent learning opportunities. Given the resources, you can develop your intellectual abilities and personal skills to reach your full potential.
Career centers at German Business Schools for job placement and career counselling
When you are choosing universities of applied sciences, Hochschule, or business schools you will have an amazing experience with a hands-on approach. Efforts of the university directly correlate with your employability and the starting minimum salary after graduation!
Business Schools in Germany
…have many more benefits to this:
Attracting guest speakers
Visiting companies
Hands-On approach
Case studies
Real-life scenarios
Teachers from the industry
Safety & Rich Culture welcoming foreigners in Germany
Germany is one of the safest countries in the world. By day or by night, you can move around freely. Social levels are very high, whereas crime rates are close to none. It is the perfect location to start a family as you can easily bring spouse and children and you will know they are always safe.
Japanese restaurants, Indian shops, Mosques, and orthodox churches nearby – this is Germany with mixed cultures and acceptance.
The low unemployment rate in Germany
It is an advantage in both the knowledge and future employment of foreign graduates in Germany, Europe, and consequently worldwide.
How to find work in Germany?
Education is only a part of the benefits. Professors, classmates, and business connections help you develop your network and land in the dream job as an ideal candidate. Now is the time to be a job seeker in Germany. With more than 1.2 million job openings recorded at the end of 2017, Germany is seeing its highest number of job vacancies since 1990 - a bright economic outlook for today's job seekers throughout Germany.
Germany has a very low rate of unemployment and it's been falling fairly consistently. In June 2018 Germany was approaching full employment. This is the lowest level since reunification.
Investors never felt better about the German economy, which grew in 2017 at its fastest rate of expansion since 2011.
A lot of jobs in Tech or Information Technology, as well as positions at internationally oriented startups, require no German language for entry positions. It is highly advisable to build contacts with suitable companies – for example by means of an internship or working student (Werk Student) position during studies.
High Income in Germany
Salaries in Germany
On average, university graduates earned an annual gross salary of 43,000 Euro in 2018.
Students of mathematical and technical subjects, including IT (Information technology), have better salary prospects.
Hourly pay
9,47 Euro legal minimum as of 2018 April
It is a usual practice to earn 10-13 Euro on an hourly basis
Working students earn 15-30 Euro per hour on average
Social contributions
Foreign students taking employment in Germany are protected by unemployment, health, nursing care, pension, and accident insurance.
Tax benefits
If you stay and work in Germany after graduation, you can often deduct previous tuition fees from your income tax.
Germany Schengen Visa: location & one visa for 16 countries
Located right in the heart of Europe, students coming to Germany, enjoy the benefits of a Schengen visa, granting entry to all European Union countries. Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxemburg, Belgium, and the Netherlands border with Germany providing excellent travel opportunities for leisure and sports activities.
German Culture
Of the 1,092 UNESCO World Heritage Sites worldwide, 44 are located in Germany alone. Among those:
Islands with long sand dunes in the North
Forests with medieval castles in Central Germany
The Alps with plenty of lakes in the South
Germany is a country with a rich history. Event calendars are filled with exhibitions, concerts, festivals, performances, trade fairs, and sports events. Oktoberfest alone attracts 6 million tourists for a 16-day beer festival to Bavaria per year.
Students in the leisure time go to museums, cinema or a theatre; sit in a beer garden, walk on a beach, swim in a lake, climb a mountain or visit an old castle. Landscapes are incredibly picturesque and diverse: beaches, skyscrapers, mountain chains. Mountains are accessible all year long for hiking or mountain biking in Summer; skiing, sledding, and snowboarding in Winter.
Germany is a student hotspot allowing for overnight trips to many attractive locations, such as Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna, or Prague.
German Cities & Infrastructure
All this is possible due to a developed infrastructure with reliable, safe, and clean train & bus systems as well as international airports. Within Germany’s cities, you can expect a high standard of public transportation: trams, buses, subway. Cycling to the workplace is a common practice, with thousands of kilometers of bicycle roads on the side.
German Work culture – work-life balance
The secret to Germany’s happiness and success are the values. Germans not only work 35 hours a week on average, but they also earn a good salary with full social benefits – all that including 6 weeks paid leave per year (according to Huffington Post Research).
German Strong economy
Germany is one of the EU (European Union) founding members and an active UN (United Nations) member striving to promote international cooperation and safeguarding world peace. Its economy is the largest in Europe and the fourth largest in the world.
Most of the exports are products, associated with mechatronics, automotive industry, electrical engineering, environmental technology, and pharmaceutical & chemical industry. Germany offers political and economic stability, which makes it an ideal place for studying abroad. Germany is one of the three largest exporting nations followed by the USA & China.
2/3rd of the major global industrial events take place in Germany attracting more than 10 million visitors. Germany is the world’s premier location for 150 international trade fairs. “Made in Germany” is a world recognizable seal of quality. According to the research across six categories (people, governance, exports, tourism, investment & immigration, and culture & heritage), Germany has replaced the United States as the country with the best “brand image”
Development of subcultures, art, music, culture with history and architecture are more reasons bringing international students to Germany. Every city is different and beautiful in its own way:
Hamburg is famous for aircraft construction, media, and trade companies, due it’s port access;
Stuttgart and Munich have a strong presence in the automotive and manufacturing industry.
Bavaria is High Tech oriented
Baden Württemberg is famous for vehicle construction
Rhine-Neckar focus is chemicals and IT
Frankfurt is the finance hub
Berlin is considered Europe's startup capital
Industrial hubs are highly decentralized with medium-sized enterprises currently embracing 99.6 % of German companies. Startup culture attracts youth and the government highly supports locals and foreigners alike to bring their ideas to life.
Germany is leading in Entrepreneurship according to the 2018 World Ranking.
